Category: General

As some of you, my dear readers, know, I love baking. Like, real home-made style baking. Not competing with an endless list of ingredients to make the recipes ultra-complicated, not spending hours to create something so beautiful that it makes you sad when you have to break it to eat it, but I love putting together something simple that is tasty and worth trying again. I think that these are the key words that describe my goals: simple and tasty.

Today, I had some friends coming over, so I wanted to make something quick and easy to surprise them with a light lunch. I have made an uncountable amount of variations of this pie, but this time, it turned out to be a cheesy ham pie. I tossed together a salad to go with it, and my friends loved it so much that even though they know that this blog is mostly about traveling, they suggested that I’d post this one here. I love sharing recipes, so here we go. If any of you feel like sharing your favorite recipes, please do post them as comments here, I’d love to try them!

CHEESY HAM PIE

This pie will be big enough to fill a rather large pie plate (10.6 inches circumference). Make sure to use a non-sticky pie plate or butter the pie plate to make sure that the crust doesn’t stick to it.

For the crust you’ll need:

1.7 cups flour (plus some when you spread the crust into the pan)

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup grated cheese (strong flavor! Swiss cheeses have good ones)

5.3 ounces cold butter

¼ cup cold water (or a couple of tablespoons less)

Mix the flour, baking powder, and grated cheese in a bowl. Add the cold, diced butter and use your fingers and thumbs to pinch and rub the butter and flour together. Quickly mix the cold water in with a fork or spoon.

Pour the mix onto the pie plate and use the extra flour to keep the crust dough from sticking to your fingers when you spread it across the pie plate and up against the edges. When ready, poke the crust dough with a fork. Set aside to wait.

For the filling:

1 onion

4.4 ounces diced ham

7 ounces cottage cheese (also shredded mozzarella works well)

0.6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 eggs

0.8 cups cream

½ cup chopped parsley (chives works well too!)

2 tsp horseradish paste (can be left out as well)

a pinch of black pepper

a pinch of Cajun

a pinch of white pepper

a pinch of garlic powder

½ cup shredded cheese (strong flavor is preferred)

Dice the onion and sauté it quickly on a skillet. Once it’s done, put it in a big bowl. Chop the parsley and add it as well as the other ingredients in the bowl. Mix well. Then pour the mix on the crust and top with shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven (350F) for 30-35 mins until golden brown. If needed, add an aluminum foil on top of the pie to prevent the crust from getting a darker brown color.

A while ago I had a chance to visit Beijing, China. It had been a dream of mine to see the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace, Badaling, and the Beijing Zoo. Most of the places were real tourist attractions, but as I had always heard about them since I was little, my mind was set on visiting them. I wasn’t sure how well my search of tranquility would go in a city that has millions of inhabitants, but it was worth a shot to go there and see. Even though I did a lot of shopping and socialized with other foreigners quite a bit, little did I know how much peace I would found from China’s massive capital and the surrounding areas. Here are some of the places in which the peace of mind was the easiest to reach:

Meditating in the Summer Palace

The gardens of the Summer Palace were heavenly. It’s no wonder that this area was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage site as it is very attractive. The Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill dominate the landscape. The pavilions, temples and bridges form a harmonious entirety against the background they create.

I was lucky to be there around the time when there weren’t too many tourists around, so I spent the whole day in the area, walking around, taking in the beauty of the place and meditating in the gardens.

The Qilin Statue was an interesting detail that caught my eye. It was cast during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Qilin was an auspicious animal that appeared in Chinese legends. It had the power to punish evil and repel the wicked. The animal took an interesting form, one that combined the head of a dragon, the tail of a lion, the hooves of an ox, and the horns of a deer with scales all over its body.

Meeting pandas at the Beijing Zoo

The giant pandas at the Beijing Zoo were the very reason why I wanted to visit the place as it is rated among the top five places to see pandas in China. Usually I find zoos quite disturbing as the animals are often confined in small spaces and express their stress by applying redundant, meaningless behaviors, but these pandas seemed to be doing well.

The Panda Hall covers the area of 2.5 acres, and seems to manage to account for the housing of such large animals as well as offer aesthetic surroundings for them. The inside of the hall replicates the style of traditional Chinese gardens and is shaped in the pattern of a Tai Chi diagram. I loved to see these cute, furry fellows and learn more about their natural habitat and the dangers threatening to eradicate it, so even though I may not be able to call it a Zen-like experience, it was fun anyway!

Feeling the history in the Ming Tombs

The thirteen tombs of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are located about 30 miles northwest from Beijing. The area is scenic as it lies at the foot of Tianshou Mountain. In the scenic area, each mausoleum has its own independent unit. Only a few of them are open to the public.

The Sacred Way is the approach to the Changling Tomb. It is built from north to south and considered to be the road leading to heaven. The Emperors, known as the Son of the Heaven, were thought to leave their empire through this road. The road is lined with stone statues. Human figures and animals have symbolic meanings.

In the other end of the Sacred Way there is the Great Red Gate. This road is an excellent place for taking a moment to relax, think and meditate if there aren’t large groups of tourists passing by.

Changling Tomb is the tomb of the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is the largest and the most completely preserved of these tombs. It is a beautiful building with lots to see, and with the mindful attitude, it is easy to sense the past centuries that tell their stories in this attraction.

Climbing the Great Wall

Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Beijing, the Great Wall, is the place to listen to the stories from the past. A lot of them are violent and full of anger, but some of them are also stories of perseverance, bravery, and love. The Great Wall stretches approximately 13,170 miles from east to west of China. Some sections of it are in ruins or have disappeared, but the parts of it that I saw are among some of the most beautiful and impressive places that I have ever visited.

Walking along the Wall can be a good exercise as it is quite steep at some places. The poor condition of some steps may make it seem even dangerous, but especially if you follow (eavesdrop…) a group with a guide, the information they tell is so fascinating that the challenges are worth it.

The views are breathtaking, and the winding wall offers plenty of spots for stopping, sitting down and taking in the magnitude of the structure. After seeing this amazing wall and practicing mindfulness on top of it, your way of looking at your life may be a little different. The serene feeling can last a long time, and even carry over to your everyday life.

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Do you have something planned for the evening but wonder what you could do to also make the most out of the day? Do you feel like getting some fresh air? Does a stroll in the nature fill up your energy reserves? Even though Eugene is filled with beautiful parks (at least two of them will be featured later in the blog), during this time of the year they aren’t quite enough to give plenty to do for several hours. Taking a drive to the Silver Falls State Park will, however, hit the spot when you are looking for an experience that will offer both stunning views and an opportunity to recharge for example from a tough work week.

The Silver Falls State Park, a scenic treasure, is located in Sublimity, about an hour and a half drive north from Eugene or an hour and twenty minutes south from Portland. There are ten larger waterfalls in the park, but three of them are easy to access, offer a great walk, and are extremely beautiful. One of the things I love the most about this park is that apart from the busiest summer months, it is rarely overly populated. There have been times when I have hiked there for hours and only seen a handful of people.

The North Falls is easily accessible, only 0.3 mile hike from the car park. The falls is interesting as the alcove that has formed under the overhanging lip of the falls is particularly deep. That means that you can walk behind the waterfall without getting wet. At the same time, it makes the falls a little less impressive from that perspective.

The North Falls is the third tallest waterfall in the state park (136 feet). It also is the least crowded of the three that are featured here, so if you are looking for solitude, this one may be the right choice. The walk to the falls through the forest is pretty. However, if you just want to get a glimpse of the falls on your way to the other waterfalls, there is a more distant roadside lookout point that allows you to see the falls in the middle of the dense forest that surrounds it.

The South Falls, many may think, is the most stunning of these three waterfalls in the park. It really is worth a visit, as it takes only a couple of minutes to walk from the parking lot to the falls. The classical shape of the waterfall, the ledge that it rushes over, the plunge pool below the 177ft drop, and the wooden footbridge a little ways downstream make this a very traditional waterfall.

The trail that leads behind the waterfall descends quite a bit so be prepared for a little workout! The mist lifted up in the air by the waterfall may give your hairdo a little treatment, but it’s a small price to pay for the experience. The serene feeling triggered by the waterfall is magnificent! In my opinion, this is the waterfall to go to if you are looking for a spectacular view with the least physical effort. If you find a good spot to sit and admire it, it is easy to get lost in your thoughts for quite a long time just because it is so mesmerizing.

If you want to see the Lower South Falls, i.e. the third fall, it’s a little longer stroll away. If you walk to it from the plunge pool of the South Falls, don’t cross the footbridge but just continue 0.8 miles down the trail. This trail is quite leveled and doesn’t have but one steeper climb, so if you aren’t after a workout, it is the easiest if you just use the same route back. However, if you intend to do a full loop but aren’t planning to work up a sweat, start the loop from the top of the South Falls and walk along the ridge. From the parking lot to the Lower South Falls it is about 1.2-mile hike. This direction is way easier as it slowly descends down to the gorge and the climb back up is shorter than in the other direction over the ridge. If you plan to make it a full workout, do the full loop in the opposite direction. The climb up to the ridge will definitely give your calves and thighs some exercise!

Lower South Falls is my absolute favorite of the waterfalls in the Silver Falls State Park! With its 93 feet drop it is not as high as the South Falls, but it has the similar classical shape in a wider form.

Just like the other waterfalls, you can walk behind this one as well, however, at this spot the current of the river seems faster. The water rushes down over the ledge creating a veil that separates you from the rest of the world and creates a perfect moment for focusing only on the flow of the water. The veil formed by water drops, too many to count, is so beautiful that it leaves you speechless.

The gorge that the river runs through is really stunning as well. It is a place where time stops ticking. It is easy to be connected with the nature around you and imagine how it looked like 100 years ago. It is also easy to picture it staying the same for decades if not centuries.

These waterfalls are all places where finding the peace of mind is almost deceivingly easy. The gigantic trees, the river, the grove on top of the ridge, and the waterfalls – it is hard to picture that there would be more beautiful places in Oregon than these. The views put your mind at ease very quickly if you are willing to let go of your worries. However, that’s how the magic of Oregon works; it offers soothing but at the same time mind-blowing experiences in all corners of it.

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Do your taste buds feel neglected or even shriveled and withered? Are you in need of a culinary experience that is absolutely mind-blowing? Do you like trying out different restaurants to find the perfect combo for a dinner? Here’s my suggestion for a dinner date that is fun, doesn’t restrict you to one place for all evening, and definitely triggers lots of conversation! Welcome to find your taste buds in Eugene, Oregon!

This dinner tour is not about fancy places that will max your credit card and leave you longing for more food. This is about small restaurants that make you smile even if your day has been long and tough and you have only had a minute to freshen up. They invite you to come as you are, because the focus is on food. Delicious food. Tasty food. Food that looks good, smells intoxicating, and tastes divine.

A perfect place to start the evening is Toshi’s Ramen. They serve, hands down, the best ramen in Eugene! The broth is really tasty without being overly salty or pungent, and there are a lot of options to choose from. The place is known for their authentic Japanese ramen (the owner is Japanese, but that’s not why I decided to choose this place for the first stop in this dinner tour. The real deal, this time, are their gyozas, or pot-stickers as some may call them.

The gyozas are to die for. They are prepared exactly right, and the combination of flavors is perfect. The waiters and waitresses are really friendly and teach you how to make the right kind of a dipping sauce to match the desires of your palate. I have seen a lot of people get just one order of them, but after sharing the plate of 6 gyozas they have ordered another one. The place is so popular that it can get crowded sometimes, so having to wait for your order for 20 minutes is not rare. A laid-back attitude and a flexible timetable is a must.

After the mind-blowing appetizers the tour continues to the neighboring city, Springfield. Just across the city line, there is a small strip mall that is a home for this hidden gem. Bai Khao is one of the most authentic Thai restaurants in Oregon. It is a small family business that serves such delicious meals that you just keep going back, again and again.

My absolute favorite on the menu is Spicy Basil. It is made so well that it gives your taste buds a foodgasm. When you add their amazingly delicious Thai Iced Tea to the combination, the balance between spicy and sweet is perfect. The smell of the sauce mixed with rice caresses your nostrils when you lift a forkful to your mouth. The Thai Iced Tea also softens the kick that the food has, so it serves multiple purposes. Another great option is Pad Thai which is really tasty even though not as much a masterpiece as the Spicy Basil. The atmosphere at the restaurant is homey and the owners make you feel welcomed. The place is busy not overly crowded, so it offers a great spot for a deep conversation.

When the appetizers and main courses have hit the spot, it’s time to have some dessert in a different location. What brings you to the perfect taste bud Zen moment is Yogurt Extreme that serves all possible flavors of frozen yogurt. Their frozen yogurt is the best of all the ones I have tried all over the world. Famous Italian gelato is left far behind when these smooth, velvety delights are discussed. There are two locations in Eugene, and even though both of them offer a changing selection of flavors, the Willamette location is a more certain spot to have some of their famous vanilla custard. It is fantastic, the flavor just dances on your tongue embracing your taste buds with its cool touch. The Willamette location is also more convenient with ample free parking lot, whereas in the Campus location you may have to drive around the block several times before getting a parking spot.

When on a date, I would recommend taking the frozen yogurt to go and driving to the Southside hills for star gazing. Whether you are sitting in a warm car on a cold winter night or in a cool car on a hot summer night with the cool treat in your hand, the happiness in the eyes of your date created by the perfect dinner and the perfect partner makes the sparkling of the stars fade.

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First you hear the sound. The distant humming turns into a magnificent rumble the closer you get. Then you feel the moisture in the air. The contrast between the loud roar and the soothing, almost rainforest-like feeling the humidity is confusing your senses as you finally walk around the corner and see it. Words escape you. The beauty of Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon and the second-tallest year round waterfall in the US, is breath-taking.

So, Multnomah Falls consists of two steps that have the total height of 620 feet. The foot trail from the visitor center leads to the Benson Footbridge that allows visitors to cross the lower cascade 105 feet above it. If you can choose a time when most of the tourists aren’t around, it’s an insanely attractive place to visit. Don’t get me wrong, the whole area is really beautiful all year round, but during summer the viewing area as well as hiking paths near the falls can get quite crowded.

Waterfalls are, naturally, at their most beautiful during and straight after the rainy season, so winter and spring are excellent times of the year to visit the waterfalls of Oregon. If you get there on a rainy day, the drizzle may create a context for a magic, Zen moment at its best: Stand on the footbridge by yourself, no one else in sight, hear and feel the rain, take a few deep breaths and open your mind to the nature that is surrounding you.

In the scenic Columbia River Gorge, there are plenty of waterfalls. For instance, the drive from the Vista House to Multnomah Falls offers the possibility to view and hike at least 4 other waterfalls. Of those, my favorite is Wahkeena Falls. It is a little less majestic, and thus, also a little less popular, and therefore offers a better opportunity for relaxation and emptying your mind of the clutter. The hiking route is pleasant and at no point are you too far away from the presence of the waterfall, so it is easy to stay in the moment and let the hum of the water soothe the racing thoughts.

If there was one suggestion I could give to people seeking for peace of mind and mindfulness in nature, it would be “No matter how little time you have, focus on one thing, whether it is a view, a sound, a smell, or the feeling on your skin, and take it in. Absorb it, let it take over, and feel the energy that surrounds you then.” In Oregon, when you go hiking, the abundance of the sensory stimuli is almost overwhelming, but at the same time, the amount of energy that recharges your batteries is also plentiful. The waterfalls in the Gorge are just one example of the natural wonders that Oregon has to offer. If you love being outdoors and are searching for your Zen, Oregon is the state for you.

Jaa:

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Even though my journeys across two continents continue, I cannot but dream about other trips as well. So, I decided to make a realistic 5-year travel plan. For this year, the calendar is already booked full as these two trips take the rest of the year, but from 2017 on, the plan is to focus on a couple of longer trips each year and then take plenty of shorter visits in between. I didn’t list European cities in the plan at all, because a lot of those trips are decided with the idea of “if I’ll already be in X, it offers a great opportunity to visit Y as well”.

2016

The Europe City Hopping Tour

Road Trip across the US

2017

Vancouver, BC + Banff National Park (3+ weeks)

Archipelago of Greece (3+ weeks)

Caribbean Cruise (12 nights)

2018

Japan (3+ weeks)

South America Cruise (21 nights)

2019

Madeira (2 weeks)

Australia + New Zealand (2 months)

2020

The Epic American RV Road Trip (currently planned to last for 10 months)

There are plenty of destinations that I want to explore that are not included in this list, so most likely, it will be updated many times during the next months and years.

Jaa:

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I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Kallia Manika at Kallia’s Everyday Life, and I am really excited about it. As you may know, the Liebster Award is a phenomenon in the blogging world, and it is important for starting blogs as it gives readers an opportunity to find them and spreads the word about them.

Kallia’s blog is well-written and tackles interesting topics of everyday life and fashion, so it’s really worth checking out! I have followed her inspiring insights to life for a while now, and somehow the blog always succeeds in making me smile!

The rules are simple:

Nominate 11 new bloggers that have less than 1,000 followers. In some rules, I have also seen the number 3,000 so those blogs may be eligible for nomination as well. To be sure though, I will stick with blogs with less than 1,000 followers.

Post 11 random facts about you.

Answer the 11 questions that your nominator asked from you and then ask your nominees new 11 questions.

On your new blog post, make sure to give credit to your nominator. This is how we all get connected!

Have fun and enjoy! We are all new, after all!

Random facts about me:

My favorite author is Haruki Murakami.

My favorite berry is raspberry.

My favorite TV show is House Hunters.

My favorite instrument is a viola.

My favorite tree is a maple.

My favorite time of a day is morning.

My favorite cuisine is Thai.

My favorite color is blue.

My favorite season is all of them.

My favorite music is symphonic metal (and country, lol).

My favorite flower is an orchid.

Here are my answers to the questions that Kallia asked from me:

What is your fashion/style icon?

I don’t have one, but my favorite jewelry designer is Björn Weckström from Finland. His art is out of this world! Do you remember the first Star Wars movie (Episode 4)? Princess Leia’s neckpiece from the ceremony at the end of the movie was designed by this gentleman.

What is your biggest regret?

Not starting to blog about my journeys sooner.

If you could change one aspect of your life, what would it be?

To be able to do more communication consultation about listening! A lot of people are good at it, but often those who would really need to be great listeners take it for granted and don’t pay attention to it.

What is your thought process when you write a blog post?

I try to let readers see the destination through my eyes. I love being outdoors, so I write a lot about nature and different (national) parks, but I also enjoy exploring cities, finding out more about culture, and discovering restaurants and cafés that serve really tasty, authentic food. So, when I sit down and think about the things I’ve experienced, I always try to make the reader find something from my blog post that isn’t necessarily explained in the travel guides.

Where is your favorite destination?

If I think about the places I have already been to, it’s impossible to name just one, because each and every place is fascinating in its own way. However, if I mention one place that I would like to visit from each continent (except Antarctica), the list would look something like this:

Europe: Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

North America: Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada)

South America: Iguazú Falls (Argentina/Brazil)

Asia: Nara (Japan)

Australia: Rotorua (New Zealand, and yes, I know that there’s some controversy about NZ being a part of the continent of Australia)

Africa: Réunion

The three things that are a necessity for your daily routines.

Phone, computer, and clothes.

What is your favorite movie?

Snow Falling on Cedars.

Chocolate cake or Fruit Pie/Cake?

Neither, but some frozen yogurt would hit the spot.

What is your favorite perfume/cologne?

Either Issey Miyake’s L’eau D’Issey or Kenzo’s Flower by Kenzo. Both are minimalistic flower fragrances.

What would you say to your younger self, if you could?

Don’t worry about the big decisions that you’ll have to make, they’ll be the right ones for you even if they aren’t always the most conventional ones.

What is your favorite memory?

Sitting around a bonfire with my family and friends on our own beach on warm summer nights.

My questions for these bloggers are both about blogging in general and traveling, as mine is, after all, a travel blog. Here are the questions:

What experience triggered it that you wanted to start blogging?

What’s your target audience (more in detail than just “people interested in traveling”)?

What makes your blog stand out among so many others?

How do you choose the photos you attach to your blog postings? Is more better than less?

If you had to summarize your life philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

Do you speak other languages than English? If so, what?

What is the most memorable place you have been to and what made it unforgettable?

What are the five cities that you’d want to go back to?

What’s the experience that you would have wanted to share with someone when traveling but couldn’t because you were traveling solo?

What three suggestions would you give to a XXX (whatever the topic of your blog is, like a traveler, mother, fashion lover, tech enthusiast…) on a tight budget?

Name one attraction in your own country or state that you think everybody should visit?

I hope you all have as much fun with the Liebster Award nomination as I did! If you like to connect on fb or Twitter, you can find me at Am I Here Or What? or Zoe @ AmIHereOrWhat . Enjoy the journey you are on and be safe!